Queensland is grappling with a severe deterioration in road safety, recording a 75% increase in fatalities involving unlicensed drivers since 2019, an alarming figure signaling a major shift in the state’s road safety culture post-COVID.

In 2024 alone, 42 lives were lost in crashes involving motorists without a valid license, compared to 24 deaths in 2019. The crisis extends beyond fatalities, with 752 serious injuries also involving drivers or riders lacking a valid licence.

Joel Tucker, RACQ’s Road Safety and Technical Manager, warned that the death toll could have been far worse. “Queensland is fortunate the death toll wasn’t higher in 2024, given the sheer number of serious injury crashes involving unlicensed drivers,” Mr Tucker stated.

The scale of the disregard for authority is highlighted by the fact that Queensland issued 25,135 fines for unlicensed driving last year. However, experts argue that financial penalties are insufficient to deter offenders.

“It’s clear we have a culture that openly flouts road rules – and fines alone aren’t working,” Mr Tucker emphasized.

The Deadly Risk

The sources indicate that unlicensed driving is frequently linked to extreme high-risk behaviors such as speeding, drink driving, and drug driving, which significantly increase crash severity.

This deadly risk is demonstrated in hospitalization data. When looking at crashes involving unlicensed drivers, the ratio worsened to one death for every 18 hospitalizations, compared to the general crash ratio of one death for every 28 people hospitalized. This stark comparison underscores the danger these drivers pose to the public.

Call for Tougher Enforcement

RACQ is pushing for immediate legislative changes to address repeat offenders. Mr Tucker questioned why vehicles are not being impounded, stating, “If people have lost their licence, or never had one, we cannot allow them to keep driving – why aren’t we impounding or immobilising these vehicles?”.

Through its Get Serious on Road Safety campaign, RACQ is calling for increased police visibility and tougher enforcement, including stronger impoundment and immobilisation laws for repeat offenders.

“Driving without a licence isn’t just a legal issue – it’s a major risk to the lives of Queenslanders,” said Mr Tucker. He further argued that the Government needs to take stronger action to stop extreme and repeat offenders from getting behind the wheel to reduce the risk of unlicensed driving.

The current unlicensed driving trend contributes to the state’s overall road safety crisis. So far in 2025, 282 lives have been lost on Queensland roads, putting the state on track to record the highest overall road toll in 16 years as the holiday season rapidly approaches.